House Democrats report major progress on healthcare bill
A deal with the party's moderate 'Blue Dog' faction raises hopes for the overhaul's chances in September, but some liberal Democrats don't share that optimism.
By Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook
LA Times
July 29, 2009
Reporting from Washington — After weeks of factional debate that threatened to derail healthcare legislation, House Democrats reached a critical deal today that paved the way for the chamber to vote on a healthcare overhaul in September.
Under an agreement worked out between moderate "Blue Dog" Democrats and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D- Beverly Hills), Democratic leaders agreed to change the way a new government insurance plan would operate to allay concerns that it could crowd out commercial insurers.
And they moved to protect more small businesses from a new requirement to provide their employees with health insurance.
"This will move the bill forward," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters.
(Continued here. Here's the WashPost version of the agreement:)
Baucus Touts Lower Cost of Compromise Health-Care Bill
By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:39 PM
As the House moved closer to agreement on its health bill, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus announced that a draft of the reform package he is negotiating with three Republican senators would come with a lower-than-expected price tag, less than $900 billion over 10 years.
Although the proposal submitted to the Congressional Budget Office is not a finished product, Baucus said early results were promising as lawmakers try to complete their work before the start of the recess on Aug. 7. The preliminary bill would provide coverage to 95 percent of Americans, be fully offset by tax increases and Medicare savings, reduce the federal deficit in the final, 10th year of the bill, and increase employer-sponsored health coverage. But the total cost would fall well below earlier CBO estimates tagging the legislation at $1 trillion, Baucus said.
"This development will help us, clearly, as we continue discussions," Baucus told reporters Wednesday morning in announcing the new cost estimate.
The draft bill would provide more cost savings through Medicare than did previous versions, reducing the need for new revenue from about $500 billion in earlier drafts to "somewhat over $300 billion," according to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who is working with Baucus on the bill. The draft also would scale back Medicare payments to physicians, a long-promised but costly provision.
(Continued here.)
By Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook
LA Times
July 29, 2009
Reporting from Washington — After weeks of factional debate that threatened to derail healthcare legislation, House Democrats reached a critical deal today that paved the way for the chamber to vote on a healthcare overhaul in September.
Under an agreement worked out between moderate "Blue Dog" Democrats and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D- Beverly Hills), Democratic leaders agreed to change the way a new government insurance plan would operate to allay concerns that it could crowd out commercial insurers.
And they moved to protect more small businesses from a new requirement to provide their employees with health insurance.
"This will move the bill forward," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters.
(Continued here. Here's the WashPost version of the agreement:)
Baucus Touts Lower Cost of Compromise Health-Care Bill
By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:39 PM
As the House moved closer to agreement on its health bill, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus announced that a draft of the reform package he is negotiating with three Republican senators would come with a lower-than-expected price tag, less than $900 billion over 10 years.
Although the proposal submitted to the Congressional Budget Office is not a finished product, Baucus said early results were promising as lawmakers try to complete their work before the start of the recess on Aug. 7. The preliminary bill would provide coverage to 95 percent of Americans, be fully offset by tax increases and Medicare savings, reduce the federal deficit in the final, 10th year of the bill, and increase employer-sponsored health coverage. But the total cost would fall well below earlier CBO estimates tagging the legislation at $1 trillion, Baucus said.
"This development will help us, clearly, as we continue discussions," Baucus told reporters Wednesday morning in announcing the new cost estimate.
The draft bill would provide more cost savings through Medicare than did previous versions, reducing the need for new revenue from about $500 billion in earlier drafts to "somewhat over $300 billion," according to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who is working with Baucus on the bill. The draft also would scale back Medicare payments to physicians, a long-promised but costly provision.
(Continued here.)
Powered by Blogger
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home